Urban Greens

What Urban Greens does

Urban Greens Ltd is a Kampala, Uganda-based for-profit social impact company founded in 2020 that designs, builds, and installs aquaponics and hydroponics systems for urban food production. The company serves two end segments: urban households seeking to grow vegetables and fish in modest backyard spaces, and aspiring commercial urban farmers in African cities. Its founder and Managing Director is Peter Huisman, and the company operates with a team of 11–50 employees.

Core technology centres on closed-loop, soilless aquaponics systems that integrate fish cultivation (tilapia, catfish) with horticulture. The Home Backyard System is positioned to produce 50+ plants and approximately 5 kg of fish (10 fish) per month, with the company claiming a three-month ROI. The Go Commercial System adds integrated solar power backup and remote monitoring, indicating a more electronics- and IoT-enabled product tier. Custom system design and standalone components (e.g., grow media) round out the offering. Urban Greens also operates its own prototype Urban Farm in Kampala, used for system testing and iteration, as a demonstration site, and as a direct-produce channel supplying nearby households.

The business model is hardware-led: revenue is generated through unit sales of the Home Backyard System, the Go Commercial System, and individual components, complemented by professional services for custom design and on-site commercial installation. Go-to-market is direct (company website, email inquiry, on-site installation) and geographically limited to Uganda, with minimal paid marketing (website plus organic social media). The company has no disclosed institutional funding rounds or venture investors, suggesting founder-controlled ownership with profit reinvestment; institutional exposure comes via partnerships with WFP/INKA, EEPAfrica, and ISA rather than equity capital.

Name

Urban Greens

Legal name

Urban Greens Ltd

Website

https://urbangreensltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban Greens Ltd designs, builds, and installs aquaponics and hydroponics systems for urban households and commercial farmers in Kampala, Uganda. It offers closed-loop, solar-backed, remotely monitored units and operates its own prototype urban farm for testing and produce sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture Equipment

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaponics (Integrated Fish & Plant Production) (AFAEAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting) (AFAAAHAD), Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Aquaponics systems
• Hydroponics systems
• Urban farming equipment
• Soilless agriculture
• Climate-resilient agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Aquaponics System Sales: Sale of aquaponics and hydroponics systems including home backyard systems (50+ plants, 5kg fish per month), commercial systems (full installation with fish tank, pipes, growing beds, filters, pumps, solar backup, remote monitoring), and custom designs
2. System Components: Sale of individual components for customers who already have their own systems set up
3. Custom Design Services: Custom aquaponics system design and build services for larger or unique requirements
4. Urban Farm Operations: Company runs an urban farm in Kampala with fully operational prototype systems that supply produce directly to nearby households

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Urban Greens designs, sells, and installs aquaponics and hydroponics systems that integrate fish and horticulture in a soilless closed-loop environment for urban food production. Its product range spans compact Home Backyard Systems for households, full-scale Go Commercial Systems with on-site installation, custom-designed systems, and individual components. The company also operates a prototype Urban Farm in Kampala that supplies produce directly to nearby households.

Product overview

Urban Greens offers a portfolio of aquaponics and hydroponics systems for urban food production. The product line includes the Home Backyard System (compact unit for 50+ plants and 5kg fish monthly), the Go Commercial System (full commercial installation with solar backup and remote monitoring), Custom Designs for non-standard requirements, and individual Components for existing setups. All systems integrate climate-resilient technology with fish and horticulture in a closed-loop environment. The company also operates a prototype Urban Farm in Kampala where systems are designed, tested, and improved.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Backyard System Compact aquaponics and hydroponics system designed for modest urban backyards, capable of supporting 50+ plants and 5kg (10 fish) per month, suitable for growing leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard and herbs such as coriander, parsley, and rocket. Targeted at urban households seeking to grow their own food.
• Go Commercial System Full-scale commercial aquaponics system installed on-site and delivered ready to start growing. Includes fish tank, pipes or growing beds, filters, pumps, integrated solar power backup, and remote monitoring solution. Targeted at aspiring commercial growers seeking to establish aquaponics operations for income generation.
• Custom Designs Bespoke aquaponics system design and build service for clients requiring larger or non-standard configurations beyond standard product offerings. Targeted at clients with unique space or operational requirements.
• Components Individual aquaponics system components (such as tanks, pipes, filters, and pumps) available for purchase separately for customers who already have their own systems set up.

Quantifiable outcome

• Returns on investment visible in as little as 3 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WFP/INKAminorOthersPartner organization shown in the Our Partners section. WFP (World Food Programme) INKA Supporter. Nature of partnership appears to be supporter/endorsement relationship focused on food security initiatives in Africa.
• ISAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization shown in the Our Partners section. Nature of partnership appears focused on supporting urban agriculture and sustainable food systems initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Sky Greens: Sky Greens operates low-carbon vertical farming systems using rotating hydroponic towers. Comparable to Urban Greens in vertical/space-efficient controlled-environment agriculture approach, though focused on an Asian footprint and different delivery model.
• Freight Farms: Freight Farms manufactures containerized hydroponic farms with remote monitoring and software, sold globally. Comparable to Urban Greens in modular CEA hardware with embedded monitoring technology, though aimed at commercial/restaurant clients in developed markets.

Direct peers

• Amiran Kenya: Amiran supplies greenhouse kits, irrigation systems, and agronomic inputs to East African growers via turnkey projects. Comparable to Urban Greens as an East-Africa-based supplier of capital equipment and consumables for controlled-environment urban and peri-urban farming.
• SunCulture: SunCulture sells solar-powered irrigation and farming systems to smallholder farmers across East Africa, including Uganda and Kenya. Both companies target African smallholder/urban customers with solar-enabled agricultural hardware that addresses unreliable power and limited resources, making them directly comparable on GTM and customer profile.
• Illuminum Greenhouses Kenya: Illuminum Greenhouses designs, installs, and finances greenhouse and hydroponic systems for East African farmers, with a strong focus on small to medium-scale installations. Directly comparable to Urban Greens on customer segment (urban and smallholder growers) and product category (controlled-environment agriculture hardware).
• The Aquaponic Source: The Aquaponic Source sells aquaponics systems, components, and supplies to hobbyist and small commercial growers in the U.S. Highly comparable on product mix (full systems + à la carte components) and educational/trial-driven GTM, though operating in a different geography.
• Backyard Aquaponics: Backyard Aquaponics designs, sells, and supports backyard and commercial aquaponics systems in Australia and internationally. Directly comparable on product category, tiered home-to-commercial offering, and community education focus.
• Nelson & Pade Inc. Nelson & Pade is a leading U.S.-based aquaponics systems manufacturer offering home and commercial systems plus training. Comparable to Urban Greens in core offering (aquaponics hardware) and tiered product portfolio, though serving a different geography.

Regional players

• Hydroponics Africa: Hydroponics Africa supplies hydroponic systems, components, and training across Southern Africa. Comparable to Urban Greens on controlled-environment cultivation technology and tiered customer approach, but based in a different region.

Broad incumbents

• Plenty (vertical farming): Plenty is a well-funded vertical farming operator using indoor CEA technology at scale. Adjacent to Urban Greens in controlled-environment agriculture method, but operating at large-scale, capital-intensive, developed-market urban indoor farming rather than distributed smallholder systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Greens